State Rep.Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, announced Tuesday that she will seek re-election to the Idaho Legislature "to promote and safeguard the interests of District 25," which consists of Blaine, Camas, Lincoln and Gooding counties.
Jaquet currently serves as the House Minority Leader and sits on the Revenue and Taxation Committee, Agricultural Affairs Committee, Resources and Conservation Committee, Ways and Means and Legislative Council. Last summer Jaquet also served on the Property Tax and Capitol Restoration interim committees.
During this legislative session, Jaquet has supported legislation that increased the property tax circuit breaker for low-income seniors and the disabled. She also proposed to increase the homeowner exemption to $100,000 and index it for inflation and to include the land.
Jaquet is co-sponsoring bills with House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, that would impose a two-year moratorium for proposed coal-fired plants in Idaho, an integrated state energy plan and require that water transfers for coal-fired plants over a two-year period be approved by the Legislature.
"Idaho is not for sale, I cherish our public lands and care about the health of the people who live here," Jaquet stated in a press release.
"I believe that state government should work for the middle class, the people who work hard and respect the rules, not the special interests who have benefited at the expense of middle class families."
This legislative session Jaquet co-sponsored legislation to require full disclosure of lobbyist activities, "since they are the ones who influence the executive branch and lawmakers." She also proposed legislation to require real estate sales price disclosure in conjunction with a local option real estate transfer tax, which would provide property tax relief and funding for capital projects. "It is not fair to middle income homeowners when sales prices which determine property taxes are not disclosed," Jaquet said.
Jaquet has focused this session on helping working Idaho families. She introduced legislation to expand the consumer protection investigative powers of the Attorney General's Office in regards to gas gouging and passed legislation in the House to give help to school administrators when threats to shoot students or teachers are made at schools
Jaquet is a conference and convention planner, former executive director of the Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber of Commerce, and has served on numerous boards and committees. She resides in Ketchum with her husband Jim and has two grown sons.
Rep.Wendy Jaquet
